Comparison · Hair salons
The answer
For most salons, Salonkee alone is enough to fill the calendar: 24/7 booking, reminders, a Salonkee listing and a “Book” button on Google. Its Website Builder (CHF 59/month1 on top of the subscription) is the smallest step to a real website, but it only exists with the subscription. A site of your own, linked to your booking tool, makes sense when brand or independence matter; a custom build only for several locations with needs existing software does not cover.
Facts checked on · Updated · Market Switzerland
This analysis is available in French and English.
You use Salonkee (or are considering it) and wonder whether you also need a website — Salonkee’s, one of your own, or a full custom build.
The comparison
Ratings from 0 to 4, from the point of view of someone in your situation — higher is better. The reasoning behind each rating is in the analysis.
| Criterion | Nothing more | Salonkee | Salonkee + site | Builder | Hybrid | CustomBynilson service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front costWhat you pay or invest before it works (money and time). | Tens of thousands of francs before the first booking. | |||||
| Monthly costWhat recurs every month: subscriptions, hosting, maintenance. | ||||||
| UpkeepThe time and skills you will need to keep it running. | You maintain it. | |||||
| BookingOnline booking, reminders, cancellations: the quality for you and your clients. | Depends on your current method — weak if everything goes through the phone. | Same booking as Salonkee, opened in a separate tab from the site. | ||||
| VisibilityBeing found: Google, business profile, platforms, your own pages. | Salonkee listing, optimised Google listing and a “Book” button where eligible. | |||||
| Brand and customisationHow much of your image you control: design, copy, photos, tone. | ||||||
| Data and domainWho owns your client data and web address, and what you can take with you. | ||||||
| IndependenceWhat changing your mind costs: vendor dependence, exit cost. | The site only exists with the Salonkee subscription. | |||||
| Marketing flexibilityService pages, offers, content, campaigns: what you can publish. |
Keep how you work today, with a complete Google Business Profile (free) and booking links to your tool.
For
Against
A Salonkee subscription: 24/7 online booking, SMS and email reminders, a Salonkee listing and an optimised Google listing.
For
Against
The Salonkee subscription plus its website module: hosting, SEO optimisation, support, information synced from your account.
For
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A site you make yourself on Jimdo, Squarespace or Wix, on your domain, linking to your current booking tool.
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A site designed by a professional, on your own domain and hosting, embedding your existing booking software (Salonkee or another).
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A website and booking system developed for you: scheduling rules, resources, memberships, several locations.
For
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The analysis
A Salonkee subscription is more than a calendar. The entry pack lists 24/7 online booking, SMS and email confirmations and reminders, a listing on the Salonkee platform and an “optimised Google listing”. Salonkee is also an official Google partner for the “Book online” button on your Business Profile, provided Google treats your business category as eligible.
Saying a salon on Salonkee “isn’t visible” on Google would therefore be wrong. The real question is elsewhere: do your clients already find you and book? If so, a website only adds a storefront. If your calendar has gaps, look at your Google profile first — photos, hours, reviews, booking link — before paying for anything.
What we do not know: the exact price of each pack (Salonkee publishes “from CHF 79/month3”), VAT, and whether a commission applies to new clients coming from the platform. None of this appears on any public page we read: ask for it in writing before signing.
Salonkee sells a website module at CHF 59/month1 in Switzerland. It covers hosting, SEO optimisation and support, pulls your account information automatically, and accepts your existing domain or a new one. You can design and preview the site before subscribing; it then typically goes live within 48 hours.
Three limits are written by Salonkee itself. The module cannot be bought on its own: no Salonkee subscription, no site. Booking opens in a separate tab and cannot be embedded in the page. And an external shop such as Shopify cannot be linked.
Over three years, the minimum subscription plus the module comes to at least CHF 4,968 (CHF 138 × 36 months), before any VAT. That is often cheaper than a professional site — but it is rent, not an asset: the day you leave Salonkee, you need a new site elsewhere.
An independent site makes sense when you have something to show that the platform does not: a strong identity, services that need explaining (colour work, treatments, weddings), a team, detailed prices, or the wish to depend on no provider for your storefront.
Made yourself, it costs little money: Jimdo Start at CHF 24/month4 incl. VAT with a domain, Squarespace Basic at CHF 180/year5 excl. VAT, Wix Light at EUR 14/month6 excl. tax (shown in euros in Switzerland, and without booking, which needs a higher plan). It mostly costs time, and a neglected site hurts more than it helps.
Made by a professional, it costs a few thousand francs up front. Its advantage is not technical: your domain, copy and design belong to you, and you can switch booking tool without redoing the site — you change the link or the embedded module.
Having your own booking system developed means rebuilding what Salonkee, Treatwell or Fresha already do: calendar, reminders, cancellations, payments, client accounts. It is a project of several tens of thousands of francs, followed by yearly maintenance, and you depend on the people who built it.
It is justified when several locations share resources, memberships or rules that market software does not handle — and only after genuinely trying it. For a single salon working in a standard way, it is not a reasonable option: the tool below rules it out in that case.
When you hand your client records to booking software, you stay responsible for that data: Swiss data protection law asks you to make sure the provider can guarantee its security. Your clients, for their part, can request the data they gave you in a common electronic format.
Before signing, ask three questions in writing: how do I export my clients and history if I leave, what is the notice period, and who owns the domain if I register it through you. Treatwell states publicly that the data remain the salon’s property; Salonkee’s salon terms are provided at sign-up. Registering your domain in your own name with a Swiss registrar costs little (CHF 15/year7 at Hostpoint, VAT included) and keeps you in control of it.
Treatwell offers a Swiss plan at CHF 49/month8 excl. VAT (CHF 199 set-up fee with monthly billing) and takes 35% of the first booking of a new client from its marketplace — nothing on returning clients or bookings from your own site.
Fresha shows a Swiss visitor CHF 18.95/month9 for a single person, with a one-time 20% commission (minimum CHF 5) on a new marketplace client. Jimdo includes a free booking tool, but automatic reminders need a paid plan; Squarespace charges for booking separately (Acuity, from CHF 15 per month). Planity, well known in France, is not available in Switzerland.
A platform with a marketplace brings you clients and charges commission for it; a tool without a marketplace costs less but finds you no one. Your Google profile is free2 and can point to any of these tools.
Your recommendation
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Recommendation
Answer 4 more key questions: without them, a recommendation would be a guess.
Missing
Decision rules v1.0.0
The costs
Verified prices are pre-filled with their date; assumptions are flagged. Replace everything with your offer or quotes.
Cheapest over 36 months Nothing more
No crossover within 5 years.
Nothing more
Salonkee alone
Salonkee + site
Builder
Pro site + booking
Custom
What this calculation shows
What it does not prove
Independent hairstylist
Alone in the salon, bookings taken by phone between clients, an existing Google profile, a tight budget.
Salonkee alone. The gain is time: online booking and reminders replace the phone. A website would add nothing for now.
Why →Small salon (3 people)
Already on Salonkee, wants more new clients, nobody to look after a website.
Salonkee + Website Builder. The smallest step to a website with nothing to maintain — knowing the site disappears if you leave Salonkee.
Why →Growing salon (8 people)
Another booking software, an old website, the goal of filling new chairs.
A professional website linked to your current tool. Switching software just to get a site would cost more than redoing the site.
Why →Several locations
Three addresses, shared resources, client memberships, a team for digital, a substantial budget.
A tie between a professional site on proven software and a custom build. This is the only profile where custom holds up — provided existing software has been tried and what it lacks is written down.
Why →Premium salon
On Salonkee, a strong identity, services that need explaining, control of the image first.
A professional website in your name, keeping Salonkee for booking. The platform does the calendar well and the brand less so.
Why →Fully booked
Independent on Salonkee, loyal clientele, no need for new clients.
Stay on Salonkee alone and add nothing. Spending to attract clients you cannot take makes no sense; polish your Google profile — it is free.
Why →What we do not know
The most uncertain part: how many clients a website really adds for your salon. No reliable public source puts a number on it for Swiss salons; the tool below helps you decide without pretending to predict it.
Not necessarily. If your clients already find you and book through Salonkee and your Google profile, a website only adds a storefront. It becomes useful when your image, your services or your independence from a platform matter.
Yes. The entry pack lists an “optimised Google listing”, Salonkee is a Google partner for the “Book” button, and the Website Builder includes SEO optimisation. What is not published is the actual effect on your position in results.
At least CHF 138 per month: the subscription from CHF 79/month3 plus the Website Builder at CHF 59/month1. That is CHF 1,656 over a year and CHF 4,968 over three years, VAT not stated by Salonkee.
The Website Builder cannot be bought without a subscription: if you leave Salonkee, you will need a new site elsewhere. Your domain can be transferred; check the exit and export terms in your contract.
Yes: Salonkee says an existing domain can be transferred to the Website Builder. A domain registered in your own name remains the safest.
Every fact on this page points to a source read on the date shown. Prices and availability are re-checked at least every 90 and 120 days.
Salonkee’s Website Builder costs CHF 59 per month in Switzerland, on top of a Salonkee subscription; VAT is not stated.
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The monthly pricing for the Website Builder module is as follows: €39 for Belgium, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands / €59 for Luxembourg / CHF 59 for SwitzerlandCreating and managing a Google Business Profile is free.
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Yes, creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free.In Switzerland, Salonkee lists its packages “from CHF 79 per month” (Go, Smart and Pro); the price of each pack and VAT are not published.
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À partir de 79 CHF / moisJimdo Start (own domain included) costs CHF 24 per month including VAT, on a 12-month term.
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Start | CHF 24 | per month | For your personal website | Free domain … Prices apply for a 12-month contract term. … All prices include VAT.Squarespace Basic costs CHF 180 per year excluding VAT when paid annually (CHF 21 per month when billed monthly).
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"Basic — Annually","priceCurrency":"CHF","price":"180.00" / "Basic — Monthly" … "21.00" — Prices listed on our website don’t include VAT.Wix shows Swiss visitors its Light plan at EUR 14 per month excluding tax, paid 12 months upfront; no CHF price is shown.
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Light | Mit den Basics starten | 14,00 € /Monat … Die dargestellten Preise gelten pro Monat bei einer jährlichen Laufzeit, die beim Kauf komplett bezahlt werden. Die Preise sind exklusive anwendbarer SteuernAt Hostpoint, a .ch domain costs CHF 5 in the first year, then CHF 15 per year, VAT included.
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Im ersten Jahr betragen die Kosten für eine .ch-Domain CHF 5.– inkl. MWST. Ab dem zweiten Jahr kostet die Domain CHF 15.– inkl. MWST.Treatwell (Switzerland): Starter plan at CHF 49 per month excluding VAT (or CHF 499 per year).
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CHF 49 /pro Monat … Alle Gebühren & Provisionen zzgl. MwStFresha shows a Swiss visitor CHF 18.95 per month for a single person or CHF 12.95 per bookable team member; VAT is not stated and prices vary by country.
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Independent 7 day trial CHF 18.95 per month … Team 7 day trial CHF 12.95 per team member monthlyThe Go pack includes 24/7 online booking, a Salonkee listing, SMS and email confirmations and reminders, and an optimised Google listing.
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Réservations en ligne, 24/7 / Référencement Salonkee / … Confirmations et rappels par SMS et email / … Référencement Google optimiséThe Website Builder cannot be bought on its own: you must be a Salonkee customer with at least a basic package.
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You cannot purchase the Website Builder by its own, you first need to partner with Salonkee and have, at least, a basic Start Package.The fee covers hosting, SEO optimisation and support; the site pulls its information from the Salonkee account and can use an existing or a new domain.
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This fee covers the full Website Builder service, including hosting, SEO optimization, and ongoing support. […] Claim the perfect domain to represent your business, or easily transfer an existing oneOn a Website Builder site, the booking widget opens in a separate tab and cannot be embedded in the page; an external shop (Shopify) cannot be linked.
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the booking widget opens in a separate browser tab and cannot be embedded via an iframe […] it’s not possible to link an external store (such as Shopify)The site can be designed and previewed before subscribing, then typically goes live within 48 hours.
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You can design and preview your website … before committing to a subscription. […] After subscribing, your website will typically be LIVE within 48 hours.Deposits and prepayment go through the Salonkee Payments module, available with the Smart and Pro packs; its price is not published.
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Salonkee Payments: Peut être ajouté au pack Smart ou Pro … Politique d’annulation / Paiements en ligneSalonkee is an official Google partner for the “Book online” button on a Business Profile, subject to Google’s eligible business categories.
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Salonkee is an official Google partner for implementing the ‘Book online’ button on your Google Business profile.Salonkee’s contract terms for salons (term, cancellation, data export) are not public: they are provided at sign-up. Ask for them before signing.
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veuillez vous référer aux conditions générales professionnelles qui vous ont été fournies lors de votre inscriptionA Google Business Profile can show booking links (up to 10 per category) to the tool of your choice.
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You can also add up to 10 links per category. Links can help customers: Book an appointment.Booking directly from Google goes through a partner provider (Reserve with Google), which may charge for it.
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When you book through Google, your provider might charge you. […] find providers available in your country through Reserve with Google. You can also add your own linkWith monthly billing, Treatwell charges a one-time set-up fee of CHF 199.
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fällt eine einmalige Einrichtungsgebühr von CHF 199 an.Treatwell charges a 35% commission on the first booking of a new client from its marketplace (varies by location), 0% on returning clients and on bookings through your website or social media.
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erheben wir eine 35%-Provision für die erste Buchung neuer Kund*innen, die wir Ihnen über den Marktplatz vermitteln.At Treatwell, the monthly contract can be cancelled each month and the data remain the salon’s property.
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Monatliche Zahlungen bieten … die Möglichkeit zur monatlichen Kündigung. […] Die Daten sind und bleiben Ihr Eigentum.Fresha charges a one-time 20% commission (minimum CHF 5) on a new client from its marketplace, nothing on returning clients.
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20% one-time commission / Minimum fee of CHF 5 per client applies … No fee ever applies to your returning clientsFresha is used by salons in Switzerland (it lists hair salons in Zürich).
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Choose from 25 Hair Salons and 18 Professionals near you in Zürich.Planity is not available in Switzerland (France, Belgium, Germany).
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Planity is not available in your country. Planity is available here: France Belgium GermanyJimdo’s booking tool is free with unlimited appointments; automatic reminders need a paid plan.
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Bookings are free, with unlimited appointments. If you want more, a paid plan unlocks additional features: … reduce no-shows with automatic reminders.Squarespace’s booking tool (Acuity Scheduling) is a separate subscription: Starter from CHF 15 per month billed annually, CHF 18 monthly.
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Annually | Monthly | Starter | CHF 15 | CHF 18 | /mo | Save 16% annually … 1 bookable calendarAt Wix, booking (“Scheduling and services”) is listed for Core and above, not for Light.
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Core … Accept payments | Basic eCommerce | Scheduling and servicesA business that hands its clients’ data to booking software stays responsible: it must make sure the provider (processor) can guarantee data security (art. 9 FADP).
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Le responsable du traitement doit en particulier s’assurer que le sous-traitant est en mesure de garantir la sécurité des données.In Switzerland, a person can request, free of charge, the personal data they provided, in a common electronic format, when processing is automated and based on consent or a contract (art. 28 FADP).
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La personne concernée peut demander au responsable du traitement qu’il lui remette sous un format électronique couramment utilisé les données personnelles la concernant qu’elle lui a communiquéesNo vendor mentioned pays to appear here, and no link on this page is an affiliate link. What Bynilson sells is labelled as such and plays no part in the recommendation rules.
Research and writing assisted by AI tools; every fact was read on its source on the date shown, and the decision rules are written and tested by hand.
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